I am so upset by Miley Cyrus, I think it warrants a song!
Miley Cyrus made some chinky eyes
Standing behind an Asian guy
I don’t know if this should fly
As if there wasn’t enough to despise
I wasn’t necessarily a fan of
Her, her dad, or Hannah Montana
I tend to prefer the songs of Rihanna
Racism against Asians is simply bananas!
Oh Miley!
Chinky eyes make you look wily
prejudice isn’t thought of so highly
it doesn’t make us all smiley
Why is there nothing that Asians can do?
To make fun of other races as easily as you
Why isn’t racism against Asians taboo?
Why are we always so racially screwed!
All you have to do is pull at your face
To make your eyelids resemble our race
This kind of joke has no proper place
Miley Cyrus is a disgrace!
@ Mighty – Since you’re asking me to define it for you, I take it you didn’t bother to check out either of those links or do a quick search about ‘racism’ and ‘intent.’ Figures. And you’ve got to be kidding me – your white privilege is all over your posts.
To say that the majority gets to define what is racist or not, based on what they intended, is a double injustice against those who are the target of racism.
Kramer guy said he didn’t mean to be racist when he kept screaming the n-word on stage. It was still racist. Don Imus said he didn’t mean to be racist when he called those women basketball players nappy headed hos – that’s still racist. Miley says she didn’t mean to be racist, while making a racist gesture with her friends – it’s still racist. And you ask what the danger is in that? I take it you aren’t asian and have never had someone make that racist face at you or call you an ethnic slur. The danger is in little kids who look up to her, thinking that is ok to do to their asian classmates.
Telling Asians who are offended that they have no reason to be because she didn’t MEAN anything by it, is insulting and degrading. You have no right telling others what they can and can not find racially offensive.
And if you’ll actually visit the link Maggie posted, you’ll see a lot of the bloggers who were offended DID discuss the Asian kid in the photo: http://www.racialicious.com/2009/02/05/miley-cyrus-thinks-its-cool-to-mock-asians/
Thanks owen.
A comment/gesture/pose is considered to be racist if anyone percieves it to be racist. Try taking a class in diversity. Our expressions are based on how they are percieved. If a group of people feel this is racist then it is racist….period.
Miley is a role model simply because she’s there and parents do a poor job of being role models themselves. When you allow your kid to park themselves in front of the TV for hours a day and then enable their habit by providing them the funds to slather a stranger’s face all over everything they own, this is the unfortunate by-product. It’s parent sponsored modern day idolatry and it’s ridiculous.
No stranger should ever be a role model. At least not one you put your unfailing hope in. Not Obama, not Ghandhi, not anyone.
So Margaret, what’s the difference between Miley’s offensive picture and your offensive song using the word chinky? for me, it’ the same, think of it, if you think using the word chinky is fine (because it’s in a song it’s hilarious!) then what if others started to use it too? 2 wrongs doesn’t make a right. And I thought you would understand…
@ Mighty – I am sooo thankful I do not have children. That is exactly why I hope Miley looses contract with Disney.
But is also very sad that America’s parents can have babies without a license/training to do so!
@ Johnny – don’t call me one unless you are one.
Owen,
I have to say I’m surprised. You’re lecturing on the definition of racism and yet you still show blatant racism in your assumption of my lack of minority status. Interesting.
I didn’t say ANYONE gets to decide what’s racist or not. I said individual intent is what makes something racist. If I make a comment out of hatred for another race or in an attempt to subjugate them, that is racism. That kind of action is racist whether or not anyone is offended. It is racist because the motivation behind it was racist, that is, motivated by the desire to assert the superiority of one race above another.
Both Michael Richards and Don Imus were attempting to be outrageous in their behavior. Some people were offended by these acts. Others were not. Some minorities felt it was patently ridiculous that Imus was fired or that Richards received so much backlash. Does that make that group right? I cannot tell you if either of these men are racists. I can tell you that I didn’t find either of them funny and, because I do not know them, that is as much as I am willing to hold against them. I do not find them funny.
What I do find funny once again is how you so confidently state what I have or have not been prejudged for. You have no idea who I am or what I’ve been through in my life. I also find it funny to make light of the differences between us. As I stated before, making references to the ironic differences that exist in the world is the basis of all comedy.
And you’re right, I am not at liberty to tell someone that they should or should not be offended, NOR HAVE I.
I did read the articles and once again I say, it doesn’t matter who was or was not offended. You cannot control people being offended, just like you can’t tell them to be offended or not.
While you’re accusing me of what I did or didn’t do, why don’t you try answering any of the questions in my post.
If you can’t manage all of that, how about just answering this one … do you believe that Miley posed for this picture so as to assert the dominance of the race with which she identifies over that of Asians?
I agree. No more kids without licenses first. You have to have a license to fish for cryin out loud!
THAT GOES TIMES 8 FOR YOU OCTUPLET MOM!
@ Mighty: Not racism to call out your white privilege, sorry. And I’m sure you still haven’t bothered to look up what that means.
By saying intent determines racism, then yes, you are saying the offender gets to decide if what they did was racist or not. Not the person or group being targeted. That’s insulting and degrading to the minority group, as if THEY don’t know what is racist better than the person dishing it on them.
Of course Miley was not trying to assert the dominance of her race. That’s a red herring and gets at the heart of that fact that intent does NOT determine racism. What Miley WAS doing was making a historically racist gesture with a bunch of her friends, ignorant of what that gesture means to a lot of Asians because she has never experienced it. The gesture IS a historically racist gesture.
And when she got called out for it by Asian groups and people who told her, hey that’s not cool, that’s a racist gesture don’t you know? …..She made excuses instead of owning up to it. White privilege.
@ Mighty – now you are being an idiot. You said: I did read the articles and once again I say, it doesn’t matter who was or was not offended.
It does matter!!!! Try taking a class in diversity.
@ Haven. you disgust me. Ms. Cho does a comedy act and you do not own her body. Now go lay with your brother/cousin.
This has really nothing to do about being a role model but more about being a good person.
Yes, she’s like 16 and yes, maybe not so life-experienced. But if a 16 year old thinks this act is funny and cute, I wonder what her parents are teaching her or what examples they have shown her at home.
I feel for the young Asian-American kids who will have to live with this in their daily lives as their Caucasian/African/Hispanic-American friends now emulate this stupid act. It’s tough enough growing up as a minority within a minority (Asians are only at best 7.5% of US population)
I am sure it was not intended as true racism but it makes me worry about the state of affairs inside our American families. That something like this was accepted as part of the Cyrus’ family values for so long that it manifested itself in a stupid, mean and careless act carried out by a 16 year old. Don’t know exactly where the Cyrus family is from but I bet they are form one of those states that always cries about “family values” Or maybe that cry for family values is actually a code word for something else? Who knows.
So, most of you bloggers are right, it’s not Miley’s (or whatever her name is) fault but her parents fault for not teaching their child what it is to be a good person. Shame should fall squarely on their shoulders. If the Cyrus family took the time to learn anything about core Asian family values, they would know that “Family Shame” is probably the worst thing that a child could bring upon a family.
We should thank Ms. Cho for bringing attention to this in a tongue in cheek manner. It seems she is prodding all of you to think seriously about this act as a comedian can. Maybe her use of certian words as absurd as they are by themsleves is a way to make you think how absurd this whole situation is. “Walk a mile in my shoes” an old boss told me onetime. Again, I really feel for the young Asian-American girls who will now have to deal with the ugly notion of racism as a joke becasue of this insensitive, careless act of a TV personality. “Haha, you’re a chink..just kidding”
Last time I checked, Asian-American families have the highest family incomes and highest percentage of college degrees among all other ethnic grouips in the USA plus there’s a lot of money being spent in Asia on teen idols. Show business is a business and alienating your customers is bad business anywhere or at any age.
tserin – BRAVO!!!!
This is hilarious.
It’s sad that she’s getting sued for 4 billion.
I dont even like her and I feel bad.
They’re not gonna get their 4,000 a piece. She doesn’t make that much. -_-
But awesome song.
I think this whole situation is hilarious and just plain ridiculous. I understand that there are people out there pissed off about the whole situation, but really, are you serious? I believe that every single person, even if they may deny it, is a little racist here and there. If Miley did intend to make that face in order to make fun of Asian people, Okay, so what? If it were anybody else–correction, if it were anybody who didn’t have the money that Miley does, would people really make a bigger deal out of it? I don’t see anyone bashing all those other people in the photo that are doing the exact same face as her. If people are going to get mad at Miley for doing that face, then they should be getting equally mad at the people in the photo with her. They should also be getting a lawsuit filed on them for making the same face as Miley, but that’s not the case is it?
I’m Asian, and I don’t have a problem with what she does in her photos. It’s her face and her business. Hell, if she wanted to run around screaming “KKK” at the top of her longs, that’s her problem. I hate it when people make what others do their business when clearly, it has nothing to do with them. I know I’m going to get all these comments about, “What, you’re Asian? You’re a disgrace!” Well fine, if that’s how you feel, good for you. In my opinion, Asian people are the most self-righteous, hypocritical jerks. Every Asian people I’ve seen are freaking racist. Now I know you might be thinking, maybe it’s just the people you know, but seriously, how many Asians do you know, especially the parents, prefer their own kind to others when it comes to relations? Exactly. Maybe everyone should just mind their own business and take a good long look at their own lives since obviously, they have nothing better to do then to lash out at some kid who they are most likely never going to meet.
Peace out hypocritical jerks. =]
I can’t believe that you people are actually behaving this way towards a 15 year old. Margaret. I have been a fan of yours for years, AND I happen to remember you making fun of YOUR family, (including accents), guess it’s ok if you’re making fun of your own Huh?
“Every Asian people I’ve seen are freaking racist.”- ‘Amused’ FIRST of all, its Asian PERSON. Anyway, Miley should know better than to pose for pix especially if they’re inappropriate. Apparently, those pix of her in the shower didn’t teach her a lesson. Nonetheless, if you’re going to be “racist” BE SLICK. Also, yeah we all talk shit about other races and whatever else but still we’re not in the public eye and EVERYONE does it on the down low. If you’re famous, be careful or else you’re going to get bashed and sued. haha.. 4 billion dollars to all the asians in LA !
omg margaret…
it was only a joke..didnt u guys understand that?
it is many people in this world that do the same thing just like Miley did.
why dont u guys write something to them or tell it to them?
just because shes a star cant she do like the others people in this world do and make some grimase?
PLEASE answer med back
I’m a big fan of yours and appreciate all the work you have done to advocate on behalf of the GLBT community.
However, I have to disagree with you on this “issue”.
Miley wasn’t mocking Asians. She was simply making goofy faces.
Should the Asian boy in that pic be blasted for opening his eyes extra-wide, like a Caucasian? I didn’t think so. You have lost a lot of my respect.
Carlos the Filipino!
ew.. OK bare, you’re dumb as hell, 15 year olds know damn well what they’re doing when it comes to race. Sex, friends drugs w/e that all comes with experience but race, you understand it by then. And really, you’re trying to tell everyone that YOU DON’T make fun of others?
MAKING GOOFY FACES? is that why all her friends are making PEACE signs like asians and have ALL their eyes SQUINTED? and there’s ONE asian in the pic? It’s kinda like ‘HEY LETS LOOK LIKE HIM!!” eww
whats your problem.. i think she is a young girl.. that doesnt mean u insult her like that in ur blog…. I support miley… She even posted a video saying she didnt mean to hurt u guys in any way… i dont mean to be rude.. Margaret.. I hate you.. U were never funny to me at all..
Now u just go and criticise MIley Cyrus…
She is an American which is thousand times better than your race ok!
Why dont you write a song about me too huh!!
Say this..
” this girl Destiny is a bloody big fan of miley”
“coz Miley can sing unlike bloody ugly Margaret”
U think u soo cool isit? writing a song about Miley!
Did Miley write a stinking song about u?
And btw.. Miley writes song a billion times better than u .. u stinking margaret!!
get a life… u will be damn hated by America i tell u!
I thought the picture was funny.
Sum Ting Wong?
Miley does need to stop posting pictures on the web, in large part because there are idiots like you and your adoring “we are victims” club that use a teenage girl’s blog to push their ridiculous agenda. Cho, you (and your fellow “victims”) really need to get a life.
Hi,
Haven’t you ever taken group pictures of people and you have a serious shot and a goofy shot. Why can’t you look at this as a goofy shot? Why must you get so upset about it? When you or someone else crosses their eyes or sticks out their tongue to be goofy, is that offending someone that may have an eye problem? Why can’t we lighten up?
This is stupid. It’s a picture of kids being silly.
People need to stop looking for reasons to be offended.
I think alot o this kids problem is her parents.She’s so young and her parents don’t seem to try to control her. While this doesn’t excuse this incident or any of her other antics,I think her parents need to do a better job of raising her.
I am half japanese and was HIGHLY offended by the picture of Miley Cyrus.I was ridiculed and picked on growing up in the south.. I do not agree w/ Rusty says- we are offended..
I am well over 40 years old and when we were kids we made these kinds of faces all the time. We did not know the word Asian nor did we know they were any different from us. It was just a stupid silly face.
I have heard you stand up comedy before and want to know why it is okay for you to poke fun at your nationality but no one else can say a word? Why can african-americans use the N word with each other but it is racist from anyone else? MAKES NO SENSE TO ME-ANY OF IT.
People in America-if you want an end to racism, one step is to stop actively looking for it. Yes I know there are people who are racist. But when you look at a picture with whites and asians making funny faces-laugh and let it go. Stop making it something that it is not. Either that or you need to sue the ass off of the asian guy in the picture, maybe he should be deported? How’s that? Don’t like that? GET OVER IT!!!!!
I just look at Chris Rock, the Wayans (White Girls movie), Eddie Murphy…any number of rap songs, Rev. Wright etc…then I think about “white must do what is right”…and a very specific slam by Rep.Rangel and Robert Reich that, “white construction workers should not receive the stimulus money”…I do not see lawsuits and everyone in a rage about comments, lyrics or outright reverse discrimination on a governmental level. George Orwell and Nathaniel Hawthorne truly understood that regardless of the exterior, the human heart is corrupt. People will always try to find a way to exploit others even if we all looked the same.
I agree that she was being stupid. I have a problem with all forms of racism, so when are you and others going to stop the stereotype against those of us who live in the south as backwoods uneducated incestuous hicks going to stop. Yes those people do exist, as with most stereotypes there’s a reason they exist, but it still hurts the same as Dumb ass girls pulling thier eyes to the side.
But, Margaret, you make fun of Asians! In your act you imitate your mom and you do so in a stereotypical voice of an Asian using bad English. Why is that okay and one pic so bad?
I agree with Darnki. Get over it. I’m Mexican but Mexican jokes don’t offend me. I can tell a Mexican joke along with the rest of them, but that doesn’t make me a racist.
In general I am not a fan of Mylie. I never have understood the hype around her, but I’m nearly 40 and I think that makes me an old fart these days. But…… one silly face and the world is ready to crucify her. You know darned well if the Asian guy in that pic had pulled his eyes up and down, as if to make them round, nobody would be crucifying him or labeling him a racist. How do you know he wasn’t sitting there making fun of his “round eye” friends just before they took the pic? You don’t. Nobody knows. Get over it.
I am half white and half asian. What Miley did is a disgrace to people like me. My white side is ashamed and my asian side is totally offended. Her behavior is unacceptable and I cant reconcile this at all. In order for you folks who are not asian to understand-you should have lived my my shoes for a day when I was growning up with people making “slant eyes at me” or harassing my mom. But unfortunately you cant so I cant expect people who have no real experience with this kind of to understand. People like Miley will just have to continue to make herself look stupid.
I am not a Miley fan!!! Ok, so she made a face ?? So did the asian guy???! I’ve been made fun of by asians before by them pulling their eyelids up and down to make “round eyes”??!! I’ve also been made fun of by other races!! I’ve made fun of other races!! It’s life and some people try to enjoy it!!! So, what??!! Cho makes fun of whites and asians and the differences they have??! And before you all get all alarmed I have an adopted asian sister and I love all races!!! Guess you people and cho didn’t have friends or family from different races “growing up” and had no fun with them “growing up”??!! “GET A LIFE” people there are far more important things to be mad or offended by than a “group” of kids clowning around just because one just happens to be someone famous??!! Think about that the next time Cho is making fun of her own family, your family, my family and their “ASIAN” heritage in her jokes and you’re laughing right along with her!!! We’re just people who have funny differences and that includes “all races”!!!! Ooopppss, I forgot, I’m sorry, Please forgive me, this is the “Land Of The Offended” and not “The Great Melting Pot”!!!! “Together we stand and Offended we fall”!!! I’ve seen Cho she’s not that funny anyway, I want my money back, she made fun of people???!!!!
Honestly, people do this kind of thing all the time. it’s a kid, making a face…is everyone so thin skinned in our society that this is some massive injustice? hardly.
Cho seems to have missed the boat when fellow comedians like Chris Rock were making racially insensitve remarks against white people. Or the tons of other ethic and racial jokes her colleagues have made over the years. She in fact has done the very same thing.
Get over it. And the retard who is going after a 4 billion dollar lawsuit…yeah, that’ll fly.
Grow some thicker skin. this isnt “racism” or some huge social injustice. focus on more important issues.
Give it a rest already. She’s acting like a 16 year old and I’m sure it’s safe to say that we all did stupid things back in our teen years and younger. She’s taken plenty of heat for it and everyone needs to get over their hyper sensitivity. If a group of asians were holding their eyes straight like mine I would have a chuckle about it and not get my underwear in a wad. Comedy is quickly dying.
I agree with get a life and it’s over9000. She is a kid. 3 others in the picture are making faces too. Why is no one condemning them???? Why is it that young celebrities, who are still growing and learning about life, are expected to be so completely perfect?? If I had a dollar for every time I saw something in my lifetime that could be interpreted as rude or racist, I would be a billionaire. People need to stop being so critical of everyones actions. My nationality is Polish and Italian, do you know how many polish jokes I have heard??? Am I offended by them to the point that I would put the person up on a platform and demean them? No because I am not a hateful person and I know how to IGNORE things. Who cares? There are teens out there doing drugs, having sex, drinking, fighting, etc. That to me is worse than a silly picture. All kids growing up do silly stuff and if we are going to call Miley on it, then we better call every person who ever makes an Asian face too. Like someone said, Ms. Cho can mock her race and that is funny and she gets paid for it, but when Miley makes a face, she gets sued for $4 billion. Hypocritical. It’s either one way or the other, not both. Plus, do we even know what the circumstance was behind this picture? Are we to assume just by looking at a pic that it tells us for sure that this is what she was doing? Crazy.
As Devil’s Advocate, here is my take:
Fact – Miley Cyrus is a public figure, which she had no problem with due to the amount of money it has afforded her.
Fact – Miley took a picture with “slant eyes” with a group of friends, one of whom happened to be Asian.
Fact – Miley apologized (sort of) saying she was just making “goofy faces”.
Fact – She is being sued for 4 billion over the incident.
Now, she has known for some time she is a public figure. She has had questionable incidents, as mentioned earlier, because she is a public figure. How many “get out of jail free” passes does she get, Cyrus fans? Is it really that hard at a young age to act professionally in front of cameras? Why don’t actresses like Dakota Fanning or Taylor Swift have these issues?
Seriously, I think the apology was worse than the picture. They were just making “goofy faces”?!? So Asian people with slant eyes are goofy? Do their faces make her laugh? What kind of apology is that? I’m not in the room with her, can someone who is PLEASE slap the taste out of her mouth?
Now, granted, I think the 4 billion dollar lawsuit is over the top. But, the right idea is in there. What the Asian community needs to do is hit her and Disney right where it hurts the most; their wallets. I think a boycott of both Cyrus and Disney will show them the gravity of their actions (or in Disney’s case, inactions).
Good show on the song, Margaret. People need to call her out on this bullshit continuously until she gives a real apology.
@ Unanimous – Bravo!!
I agree that when she “apologized” it was more offensive than the picture.
Like I said before, if I were her I’d make sure I know who’s taking pictures and what they are going to do with them. Ask Bong-Boy Michael Phelps.
Sticks and stones will break my bones but names and stupid faces cannot hurt me GET OVER IT AND GROW UP!
We all need to get a life, and a sense of humor, i’m Hungarian/Irish/Polish, that’s right a stupid drunk. All these people so upset need to get a sense of humor nobody was targeting them for anything, and although I used to find Madge Cho funny, no I just find her sad and will avoid anything she does or has done.
—- ASAINS GONE WILD —- I think that Asains that get their eyes rounded to look more european should be tried on HATE CRIMES against europeans as it is an INSULT to europeans.
Andrew, I am white. I also put in my post above that I am Polish and Italian. Do you know how many times in my life that I have heard, how many pollack(don’t even know how to spell it. lol) does it take to put in a light bulb?? I honesty will tell you I never was offended. I am white but that could be considered racist or anti polish, I would never sue someone for it or stoop to the level of writing a poem about it. I like to think that I am above that. Secondly, where is it written that pop stars are automatic role models?? They are human beings just like us that make mistakes every day, just like us. Isn’t it up to parents to educate their children about what is acceptable and if they don’t like what Miley did, then explain to them that they feel what she did was wrong and that they should not do it. I understand that girls look up to her but who is seeing this picture? I would guess mostly adults. This is a hard argument to discuss on a board like this. We all are affected differently by things, that is why racism is tough at times because one person can be so hurt while the next guy thinks it is funny. Racism, many times is racism because of opinion not fact. That is why this is crazy. Just turn the other cheek, feel proud that you are above supposed mocking of a race and move on. The more you dwell on it the worse it gets. Instead of just leaving it be, she makes a poem about Miley, what are we in 5th grade?? Who is the child here? I see her being called a hillbilly all the time and she’s not out suing those people. She could say that is being racist on her. Be proud of who you are and if you feel someone is mocking you, maybe just feel sorry for them, but don’t let it get to you.
What a tempest in a teacup!
Since when did a 16 year old teenage girl, become any type of standard for adults of any nationality to judge behavior by? For crying out loud she is a kid! She was having fun with her teenage friends in a private moment.
Let any one of you who has not made some disparaging remark gesture or comment, in private, when you were a kid, feel free to condemn her.
I didn’t realize asian americans were so completely thin skinned. So completely sensitized to their plight as the poor down trodden minority.
Bite me! Find something worthwhile to bitch about.
When the fans of Miley see the fuss you’re making it will become the new fad to have their picture taken just the same way.
Paybacks are a bitch.
This is the kind of thing that always gets blown out of proportion. I don’t care what ethnicity it is about. It doesn’t matter how the gesture was meant, a few people will automatically take offense (or at least claim to).
Hogwash is what it is.
Everyone needs to get over it.
I really don’t get why what she did is such a big deal. I am half Mexican and half Belgain and I get it from my friends all the time about my nationalities. Taco-Waffle is one of my favorites. Why is everyone so over the top sensitive?
Grow up! since when is there a right to not being offended a white straight person has has to walk around with your hands tied mouth taped shut and only stare straight ahead or you may accidentally offend someone i am offended by most comedians but i dont go shootng my mouth off ever time one gets opens their mouth I think this country is nothing like our founding fathers envisioned they would probably call for a new civil war
laura, you are an idiot. Margaret doesn’t make fun of Asians. She imitates her mom, like a lot of comedians do. Her mom has an Asian accent. do you expect her to imitate her mom with a British accent? That would be stupid. Her jokes about ethnicity make fun of racism not race. Do you even watch her show??????